Experience the world like a hawk, rat or bee in 3D game

Ever wondered how your cat or dog sees the world? Now you can look through their eyes with the first 3D game that recreates the vision of different species based on scientific evidence.

The online simulation, created by the French 3D design company Dassault Systèmes, with the guidance of veterinary ophthalmologist Didier Schmidt-Morand, mimics the vision of five animals – cats, dogs, rats, hawks and bees – as a player steers them through Place Vendôme in Paris.

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Due to differences in field of view, colour perception and night vision, for example, sight can be drastically different from species to species. “In terms of performance, eyes are as variable as different models of cars,” says Schmidt-Morand.

The game was created by using existing virtual models of the square then applying effects based on descriptions of each animal’s vision. Dassault’s 3D software allows a scene to be modified by adding blur or changing the colours, angle of vision and depth of field.

Seeing eye to eye

Although it was easy to recreate vision inferior to that of humans – cats and dogs, for example, have trouble distinguishing shades of red – replicating features that we are unable to see was a challenge. Hawks have more detailed vision than ours, whereas dogs are better at seeing movement and have a wider field of view. “We used virtual cameras to precisely simulate larger viewing angles but the result made people nauseous,” says Schmidt-Morand. “So we tweaked the model to give a sense of the wider view without sticking to reality.”

The rat’s view also departs from reality&colon; because they are near-sighted, everything more than 15 centimetres away is a blur, so they typically move close to walls to help them navigate. “A rat would never throw itself into the middle of an open area,” says Schmidt-Morand. The simulation for this animal is supplemented with a map in the top right corner to help determine the rat’s position&colon; because of their limited eyesight, most landmarks are obscured.

The game is intended as an educational resource and players can discuss their experience with others through community features on the website. If there is interest from schools and zoos, the team hopes to recreate the vision of more animals.

Schmidt-Morand is especially curious about horses’ vision&colon; since their eyes are at the side of their head, they can see what’s in front of them, beside them and behind them. Although it would be difficult to recreate this on a screen, it could be possible in a virtual reality room. “It’s impossible for me to imagine what this view would even look like,” says Schmidt-Morand.